Speaking about traditional Russian festive cooking we should by all means mention Russian salads. Though salads are not typical for our traditional cooking, now they are very popular and are sign of a holiday!
They came to the Russian kitchen with arrival of the mayonnaise in the beginning of the XX century. This sauce favored the appearance of a great number of interesting and delicious salads. The production of the mayonnaise in the Soviet Union started only in 30-50 years century and was sold that time only in Moscow and Saint-Petersburg. It was the sign of luxury life and prosperity.
One of the traditional mayonnaise salads which is an obligatory New Year symbol has a very strange name “Herring under fur-coat” (Селедка под шубой) but is extremely delicious. The legend says that it was invented by a merchant Anastas Bogomilov who wanted to get rid of the drunken visitors in his taverns. The salad was so nourishing that became a very good snack for vodka.
Traditional salad “Herring under fur coat” consists of the grated boiled vegetables (beet, potatoes, carrot) put by layers, salted filleted herring all dressed with mayonnaise. The red color of the beet symbolised the red banner of revolution and the herring and potato were a classical snack of the proletarians. Later they used to add also boiled eggs and onion but it’s not a classical recipe.
The proletarians used to meet the New Year with this salad and gradually it became a popular tradition.
Try to cook this salad yourself and you will be delighted with this tender taste.
So, you will need:
- 1 salted herring or mackerel
- 1 medium beet
- 2 medium potatoes
- 3 medium carrots
- 3-4 eggs
- 1 small onion
- mayonnaise
- Boil beet, potatoes, carrots and eggs.
- Separate the fillet of the fish, pull out all the fishbones and cut it by small cubes.
- Take the big dish and lay out all the ingredients by layers greasing each time with mayonnaise
- grated potatoes, mayonnaise
- herring fillet and finely cut onion, mayonnaise
- grated eggs, mayonnaise
- grated carrots, mayonnaise
- grated beet and mayonnaise up layer
Let it stay in a cold place for a while and enjoy!
